Orpheus is Dead
by Oraandlink
Summary: Orpheus loses the only woman she has ever loved, and ventures into the Underworld. Only twist is, it's present day. And set in New Mexico. (This was for an essay at school, and I just decided to upload, see how you reacted.)


_S__he_ was dead. The woman I loved, dead or dying in my arms. Shot by a man who "got angry at her". I hate him. I hate the people who did nothing. But, most of all, I hate myself. I hadn't protected her. I hadn't done what I promised to do. I had not protected her. And now, I knew what I had to do. I had to go to the Underworld, and rescue her.

Good thing I'm good with a guitar.

I venture into the desert, a little ways outside of Las Cruces. "This isn't the first time I've been to the Underworld. I came once before, just because I wanted bragging rights against my friends. I was in Sixth grade, and I was foolish." That was truly a time when I could claim that I was human. That I hadn't done some screwed up crap. I was a model citizen, an upstanding student.

And then the visions began.

I began seeing things. Like a few of my teachers not quite being human, some being centaurs, some being Furies.

All from Greek Mythology, one of my favorite classes.

And then I bet that if I went to the Underworld, the prettiest girl in class would kiss me.

Stupid, stupid me.

Needless to say, we got married, settled down, and… well, now she's dead. And now, I'm doing something even stupider than that little bet.

I moved the guitar case on my back around.

"Don't worry. I'm coming for you… Eurydice."

I reach the entrance that I remember well. An older looking shack that houses a man in a black suit, with a green ring.

I knock on the door and the man looks up at me, smiling. He stands and sets his newspaper down, which was still from the early 1900s. He pulls open the door and his smile extends even further.

"Ah, Orpheus, back again! How long's it been?" He pulls me into a hug, ruffling my hair.

"Yeah, yeah, grandpa, I get it! It's been forever!" I reply, shoving his arms and him away.

"Well, what are you doing back? Don't tell me…" A look of understanding and dread appears on his face. "Don't tell me…"

"Yeah, I require entrance into Hades."

"No. No, no, a thousand times no. You know what happened last time I let you in? I got-"

I cut him off with a sharp jab to his chin. "You are going to let me in, or else I will kill you. And there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"I am an immortal! Do you really think that-?! HURK!"

I grab him by his throat and heft him onto his chair. "You will give me access to Hades, or else I swear I will make you wish you weren't immortal!" I shout into his face.

"L- LE- LET GO!" He shouts back, clawing at my hands.

I let go and he begins rubbing his throat. "Now, you are going to let me in!" I point at the entrance to the cave, and at his beaten and battered '42 Jeep.

"Okay, okay! Just… just don't hurt me anymore…" He replied pathetically, shielding his face as he walked past me. He snagged his keys and walked through the open door, then sat in his seat in the Jeep. "You coming?"

I sat in the passenger seat, straddling my guitar case in my lap.

And we set off into the cave leading to the Underworld.

I jumped from the Jeep the second we arrived and began walking into the firey abyss.

"It's not the same! Hades strengthened the defenses."

"I'll be fine." I hefted my guitar out of it's case and onto my shoulder, and began walking.

"I love you! Remember that!" He shouted as he drove away.

"Yeah, I know."

I began walking even further before I hit my first real roadblock; Cerberus, Guardian of the Underworld. A gigantic, black, three-headed dog.

It growled at my advance and I flipped my guitar over my shoulder. "Yeah? Yeah?! I'm on a mission, mutt, so get out of the way! I am the child of the God Apollo and the muse Calliope! I shall pass!"

And with that, I looked down at the guitar and began to strum. And as I watched, the dog began to fall asleep, leaving it's post to the undead.

I stopped and a haunting melody echoed through the caverns, and it scared me. I wasn't prepared to play that. I didn't know…

I continued on my path.

My second obstacles were the Furies, and no matter how hard I try, I can't remember their names…

"You! Sssson of Apollo… You shall not leave this… time…-" One hissed, but became entranced by my song.

"Oh, but I shall. You see… I'm on a mission."

"No, sist- er…" The other one passed out, and like that, they began plummeting from the sky.

"No, monsters. I shall pass." I finished the song and began walking past.

My final obstacle was the God of the Underworld himself; Hades.

I stepped through the gates to his castle, and was immediately spotted with dozens of sniper scopes.

"HALT!" A powerful voice rang through the courtyard.

"That could only be…" I said under my breath. I turned and looked at the door to the castle.

"Orpheus, my child! It truly has been too long!"

"If you were truly happy to see me, you would make those snipers take their sights off of me." I gestured around me at the several spots for snipers.

Hades scowled. "Still as observant as ever."

"I know a liar when I see one."

"Yes, well, are you coming in? The night is coming, and it gets very cold."

I scowled right on back. "Yeah, I made it all the way here. Wouldn't wanna die, now would I?" I asked, moving past him, leaving him stunned; I hadn't acted nearly as confident the last time I was here.

He turned and followed, slamming the doors behind us. "Persephone, darling, would you get this child something to drink?"

"Yes, m'lord," Persephone replied, curtsying and leaving the room, but not before winking to me.

I was surprised, to say the least.

"And me, while you're at it."

She didn't reply, but I could hear a clattering coming from the kitchen.

"She's giving me the silent treatment… Rather sad, actually." He made a false pouty face.

"But anyways, what did you come here for?"

"You know why."

"Oh, but do I? All I am is the God of the Underworld, and I know whenever a soul passes between life and death, but I mean c'mon…" He looked at the look of amazement on my face and burst out laughing. "Oh, man, you should really see the look on your face! Oh… Yeah, but I do know why. For Eurydice. Of course."

And at that moment, Persephone brought out the drinks, setting them down on the table next to us. I shook my head and refused, while Hades brought the cup of wine to his mouth with mirth. "Yeah… No. I'm sorry, but if I let one go, the others would rebel, and I wouldn't lose… It would just be a bit messy."

"Uh huh…" I looked at him with contempt, and pulled my guitar over my shoulder.

"I got this at a concert with my favorite band. The lead guitarist gave it to me a few years back. Eurydice and I, we went together. It was fun. And then we were handed VIP passes, and when we went backstage, the guitarist told me he was a demigod as well, and signed this guitar, then gave it to me. This is my most prized possession." I looked up at him.

"And that is why I have no problem doing this." I stood and smashed the guitar against the floor, and a blade was revealed, and I quickly swung at Hades.

He easily blocked, of course, and began berating me. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… I really wished… you were different…" He glanced at the drink. "What?"

"I poisoned it. Makes you die. That is, if you're mortal. But since you're a God, it only makes you pass out." A waved at him. "Bye-bye."

And he promptly smacked the ground, asleep.

I looked at the kitchen, where Persephone was standing, trying and failing to contain a laugh. "Where is she?"

"Right here." I heard a soft voice reply.

I turned and saw her. Eurydice, as beautiful as ever, standing in front of me… but she wasn't quite standing. She was floating.

"You need to get her to the upperworld. In an hour, or else she will disappear forever."

I nodded, determination lighting me on fire. "Let's go." We both took off and sprinted through the courtyard, and the snipers fumbled with their rifles. A few fell and I heard shouts of pain, but a few actually readied the rifles.

Several shots fired and I blocked them all with Godly speed, and we sprinted even faster.

I glanced back at Eurydice, and as I looked, she became more and more solid. I now sprinted with conviction, and grabbed her, holding her in bridal style so we could move faster.

We came to Cerberus and it lunged at us. I jumped on it's head, using it as a spring-board. The dog collapsed and we continued.

Finally we came to the exit. I put her down and laughed. "Well, Eury, we made it."

"Not-" Hades appeared in a haze. "quite."

"I swear, if you don't-!"

"Ah, ah, ah! You've got guts, and I like that. But now, you have only 15 minutes to sprint this two mile staircase before she disappears. So, good luck." And with that, Hades disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

I hefted Eurydice and began sprinting. "Orpheus, if we don't make it…"

"We will make it! We will… We willll…" I began crying.

"Well, if we don't make it, I just wanted you to know… you were the only one that I liked in sixth grade…"

"Really? Me, the nerd, the ugly kid, the… the girl!"

She pulled me into a kiss. "And I loved you even more for not being ashamed. Now, let's get going."

I nodded and took off. We made it to the door and I glanced at my watch. "One minute!" I sprinted and jumped through the door, and it slammed shut behind us.

"Eury! Eury?!"

"Orpheus, I'm… I'm here!"

I jumped up and ran over to her.

"Eury… oh, Gods, Eury… I love, you so much…"

"And that's why you have to let me go."

I looked up at the fate that I knew was waiting, as she disappeared. "No! NO NO NO! EURY, NOOOOO!" I jumped at her and flew through air.

"No… No… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I shouted into the cold night air.

"Orpheus? Orpheus, did you make it?"

I turned and saw my grandpa with his revolver holstered.

"Yeah… Yeah… I- I made it…" I walked over to him and hugged him.

I grabbed the revolver and spun away from him, pointing it at my head.

"I'm coming, Eury. I swear, I'm coming." And a single shot rang through the night air.


End file.
